Why Family Trees are Important

“Family History. 43/365” by francescarter is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Weekends often leave me wondering how to keep my kids busy. I try to come up with new ways to keep them engaged, be it with activities, games and occasionally a day out. Last weekend I was looking through worksheets for kids and came across a worksheet that dealt with family trees. This excited me as much as it excited the kids.

Family trees are a wonderful way to guide kids back to their roots, and give them a sense of personal history and identity. So we got working on it. The experience was fantastic and it felt like we were opening a treasure box full of stories and memories. As with most activities we share with kids, it got my children and me to communicate better, and created – I would like to hope – a deeper bond as the emphasis of this particular activity was on family.

Our genetic history leaves its imprint on us; they could be personality traits or more than a passing resemblance to an ancestor. By delving into the family history, kids learn a great deal about the family, cultures and traditions, adversities and fortunes, and more.

                            “Four Generations” by 7156988@N04 is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

When kids work on family trees they come to realize where they fit in. It teaches them about continuity and belonging. They learn to take pride in their past, their culture that is the coming together of two distinct family groups, each with their own peculiarities.

A family tree begins to answer some of the questions that dog us through our lives – Who am I? Where do I come from? It could pave the way to deeper realizations.

This activity is especially beneficial for children who are from small families, which is becoming the norm these days. If relatives are not living nearby, it can further create distance and weak ties.  We cannot thrive in isolation. In fact, family trees have across cultures held a place of honor in homes and are a celebration of history.

By encouraging kids to go out and talk to their grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles to find out more about the family, you can get them to develop a deeper understanding of other people and to appreciate the importance of preserving connections with the family. Inadvertently, such interactions not only deepen the bond but also bring forth a multitude of stories. These stories can be hilarious and saddening or these stories can be of hope and courage. In their fortitude, we find ours.

Some discoveries can also be surprising – imagine stumbling upon an ancestor who was a hunter in the deep forests of Asia or even royalty!

There are many ways to go about with a family tree. You could start with worksheets for kids. The family tree can be a simple one with names and birthdays or you can use video snippets and old photographs. A visit to the cemetery or family get together can get things rolling. But be warned, once you get things rolling, it is not easy to put on the brakes. So, buckle your seatbelts and prepare to be surprised!